The Irresponsible Reader - I Read (a lot) and then Rant, Rave and maybe Review

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for by Sarah L. Barnett’s The Chalice of Fortune! So, this book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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Book Details:

Title: The Chalice of Fortune by Sarah L. Barnett
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Age Category: Young Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 263 Pages
Publication Date: September 7, 2024

About the Book:

The Chalice of Fortune is a young adult fantasy adventure set in the 1940’s English countryside during World War II. A fast-paced, high-stakes tale, notoriously difficult to put down, The Chalice of Fortune features ancient riddles, an historic castle (with secret passages), an unlikely (but awesome) heroine, her cousin and their mates, all battling the German war-machine and the ticking of the clock. Can they solve the riddles in time to save the life of someone she loves? Only time will tell.

But did we mention the ghost… ?

The Chalice of Fortune has been announced as the 2025 winner of the Purple Dragonfly Book Award Contest in the audiobook category.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Sarah is a commercial lawyer in Melbourne as well as a writer, and a single mum to two teenagers and two cats. Her writing has been published in The Victorian Writer magazine and she’s been interviewed on ABC radio and featured in articles in Graziher magazine and Public Accountant Magazine. An experienced public speaker, Sarah has delivered numerous author talks and was featured as a guest speaker at the Melbourne Business School.

Website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ TikTok ~ LinkedIn

My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

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Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters by Carmen Joy Imes: A Household for Former Aliens and Strangers

By HCNewton

On November 2, 2025

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Becoming God’s Family:
Why the Church Still Matters

by Carmen Joy Imes

DETAILS:
 Publisher: IVP Academic
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 256 pg.
Read Date: August 17-31, 2025

What’s Becoming God’s Family About?

This is, to use a phrase from Imes’ Introduction, a love story. It began with a conversation with a friend who was convinced they didn’t need the Church. Imes became convinced that someone needed to make the case that such was not the case. The idea that Christians need the Church—in all of its fallible, messy, disappointing, loving, supportive, worshiping ways.

Imes surveys the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation, looking at what redemptive history shows us about the Church—how we need it, how it’s grown (and developed—not always in its favor), how we’re called to be part of it (and who that “we’re” is), and what it should do.

My Favorite Chapter

Well, they could all make a strong case for it, honestly—the last two chapters, particularly. But Chapter 6, “Processing Family Trauma,” takes the cake. Now, you may not think if from the title—but this is an encouraging chapter, and probably doesn’t focus on what you think it does.

It’s about communal worship. Singing the Songs of Zion, really. Both those of Lament and those of Praise. Imes talks about these in ways that may not seem intuitive (and probably aren’t, but maybe should be).

They’re about—first, “us” and “we,” a communal activity. The local congregation seeing hardships, challenges, and blessings together. It’s about recognizing the trauma and tragedies and trials that believers have—and are—suffering and how God has kept them from succumbing to them, how He’s been with His people—and therefore will be with them even now. How in a culture with many other options, His people declare His wonders in opposition to the false idols and lures around them.

I’m not doing a great job here, because I’m not going to try to replicate Imes’ work—but I assure you, it’s great.

So, what did I think about Becoming God’s Family?

Is this the most rigorous, robust work that I’ve ever read on The Church? No. Is this the most technical, theological work I’ve come across? No. Did this take a lot of effort to get through? No (and what a relief). Is this perhaps the most passionate work on the subject I’ve read? Yes. Is it perhaps the most persuasive about the need for individual believers (particularly in an individualist culture) to be involved with the Church? Also, yes.

I’ll take those last two any day over the others (not that I have a problem with the others, but…come on). Imes undoubtedly approaches this subject from the perspective of someone in her tradition—or her particular mix of traditions. But I can’t imagine any Protestant or Evangelical finding substantial grounds for disagreement. While I have a tendency to read primarily works in the Continental or Scottish/English Reformed traditions, I’m glad to see something so catholic in nature (particularly when it would fit just fine in my traditions).

I’ve struggled to write this post—I’ve been chipping away at it for two months, and still am not satisfied with it. I keep getting distracted in wanting to respond to her arguments—pointing out a couple of areas I think could’ve been done better, and talking about the ways that she really nailed the discussion. But I’m supposed to be focused on the book and reading experience.

It’s warm, it’s approachable, it’s learned in a non-off-putting way. Imes is a great guide through the topic and a fun companion through the stroll. She pointed out some things I hadn’t thought of before—and helped me grasp a couple of texts that I’ve struggled with for years.

I do think that any discussion of the Church should have more to say about the sacraments than she managed (she did mention them), but I understand how that doesn’t fit into what she’s trying to do and would’ve added controversy and disagreements she didn’t need (I’m fairly certain I’d have critiqued heavily anything she said—so it’s good for me that she didn’t).

The “Digging Deeper” sections she included in each chapter are a great resource, and I’ll be using it for some time to come (I’d previously read some of the works she’d listed there, and if the rest are as profitable, I’ll be well-sated).

Basically, I’m a fan of this and strongly recommend you invest your time and attention (and book-buying money) into it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from IVP Academic via NetGalley—thanks to both for this. Sorry it’s up late, it’s been a couple of those months.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Saturday Miscellany—11/1/25

By HCNewton

On November 1, 2025

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet The Case for Whole Books: You can’t get better at reading until you care about a text.—Part advertisement for a new book, part critique of what Common Core has done to English classes, part argument for how things should be. All the kind of thing I could read about for hours.
bullet SoA calls for transparency around ‘unsung’ ghostwriters behind celebrity-authored children’s books—an overdue idea.
bullet Sounds like George R.R. Martin’s OpenAI suit is going pretty well for him—(and for other authors, too, but Martin’s name will bring more readers, I guess)
bullet The Infection is Coming…—AJ Calvin talks about the upcoming Kickstarter for The Book of Spores and the book in general.
bullet How to build a reading routine for fall that actually sticks—some good advice here
bullet Yeah, it’s November, but we can still talk about creepy/spooky reads, right? Like Sara Reads did in a few posts: Halloween.1, Halloween part 2., and Halloween part 3.
bullet The Womble has some, too, in: Tis the season of Terror!
bullet Captivating Characters of October—Once again, I’ve forgotten to get anything written for this particular blog party/linkup thing. So I’ll just point to the mothership.
bullet My Blogging Anniversary: The Seven Year Itch—The Witty & Sarcastic Book Club is 7?? (also, how is it only 7?). Regardless, congrats on the milestone!!

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet The Chronicles of Prydain – Fantasy’s Forgotten Epic —I haven’t watched this yet, but I really enjoyed Ezekat’s short video on Prydain, so I can’t wait to dive in. And you know me, this is one of those topics I have to share any think I stumble across that covers it.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
bullet If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie
bullet Indexing: Reflections, Episode Six: Frostbite by Seanan McGuire
bullet Reflecting the Sky by S. J. Rozan
bullet The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone
bullet And I mentioned the paperback release of The Burning Room by Michael Connelly

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Locks & Keys: A Fantasy Anthology by Bill Adams, Tom Bookbeard, L.M. Douglas, Bella Dunn, Dave Lawson, Sean O’Boyle, R.E. Sanders, R.A. Sandpiper, Alex Scheuermann, G.J. Terral—(at least) 8 banger short stories and 2 that are worth your time. Overall, a strong anthology (as I wrote recently)
bullet Supernatural Crimes Unit: NYPD by Keith R.A. DeCandido—I always enjoy time in DeCandido’s worlds, this “When a drug-dealing wizard dominates the city, only one squad can stop them”

BBNYA SEMI-FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: The City of Mist and Tears by Alex Robins

By HCNewton

On November 1, 2025

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for by Alex Robins’ The City of Mist and Tears! So, this book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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Book Details:

Title: The City of Mist and Tears by Alex Robins
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 339 Pages
Publication Date: December 5, 2024

About the Book:

Keselgraad. A city of iron and stone, rising from the mist-shrouded wasteland to pierce the pallid clouds. A colossal man-made mountain stretching a mile high, from the blood-stained alleyways of the Slums to the crystal-studded spire of the Church of the Mother, whose amethyst shards shine brighter than any star.

Keselgraad. Both a haven and a prison. There is no way in. No way out. For the city is under constant assault from an enemy that is as relentless as it is indomitable; a raging sea of churning white that encircles the crumbling walls in its cold embrace. Only the radiance of the Mother can stem the ravenous tide. Only the shield of her faith can keep her citizens safe.

But there is a secret hidden deep within the ancient, decrepit heart of Keselgraad. It is whispered in the darkness of the underground galleries. Scratched into the mud. Etched into the stone.

The crystals are failing.

Their light is dying.

And without their protection, the Mists will be free to enter Keselgraad. To gorge themselves on the flesh of a thousand helpless souls. To drain the life from every last living being; man, woman, and child.

Until the city becomes a tomb.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Alex Robins hails from the sunny Loire Valley in western France, surrounded by imposing castles and sprawling vineyards. When not writing he spends his time reading, cycling, and playing the guitar very badly.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Bluesky

My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2025 Semi-Finalist badge

Front Desk by Kelly Yang: An MG Novel about an American Dream

By HCNewton

On October 31, 2025

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, YA/MG/Children's Books

Front Desk

by Kelly Yang

DETAILS:
Series: Front Desk, #1 
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: June 25, 2019
Format: Hardcover
Length: 286 pg.
Read Date: October 28, 2025

My parents told me America was this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers till we were red in the face. So far the only part we’ve achieved is the hamburger part, but I was still holding out hope. And the hamburgers here are pretty good.

What’s Front Desk About?

I’m not sure where I got the idea—I thought I read it somewhere, but I can’t find it, but I want to say the year is 1993*, and Mia Tan and her parents have been in the U.S. for some time now—having left their family, friends, and lives back in China. Now in Anaheim, they’ve stumbled into a decent job—her parents will manage a motel not that far from Disneyland and they’ll get a place to live, in addition to what the owner has agreed to pay.

(we’ll ignore the way he changes that agreement unilaterally and without warning).

Despite only being ten, Mia starts working the front desk—and really enjoys it—when she’s not in school. She meets and befriends a group of “weeklies” (those who live in the motel). Basically, she’s enjoying life. Until she has to go to school—she can’t bring herself to tell anyone where her family lives, what she does when she’s not in school, etc.

The novel is about Mia becoming comfortable in the U.S., helping her family stabilize themselves in their work, and connecting with a community around them. This comes from the way her parents help immigrants (of multiple nationalities), the weeklies, and other connections she makes by being her irrepressible self.

* The technology used throughout the book fits, for what it’s worth.

The MG-Ness of It

This is very clearly an MG novel—other than the protagonist, the characters are rarely more than an inch deep. This doesn’t mean that I didn’t like them—you just have to know going in that they’re going to have the depth of Candace Flynn.

With few exceptions (and those are very clear), these characters are supportive, encouraging, and wise—except for when they need to do something unwise/foolish for plot reasons.

It’s fine—it’s to be expected for the target audience, really. But I’ve been on a streak of some pretty deep reads lately, and it felt really light to me.

On the plus side—there’s no nuance to either the depictions of the xenophobia or racism or to the reactions to it. Yang kept that nice and clear—you help people no matter who they are? You get the white hat. You show prejudice against immigrants, Asians, Hispanics, and/or African Americans? You get the black hat—and very likely are forced to eat your just desserts. And honestly? That’s a relief—I needed something with that kind of clarity.

So, what did I think about Front Desk?

Sometimes, I wondered what it would be like to have an American mom. Just for a day. I could eat all the chocolate chip cookies I wanted because American moms on TV were always baking them. Or making casseroles. Or organizing birthday parties with themes.

I’ll tell you what they were not doing. They weren’t pestering their kids to do more math.

Although the novel is clear about problems in America—particularly when it comes to economics, xenophobia, and racism. But it loves Americans and American ideals, and while it gets shaken—Mia and her parents cling to some version of the American dream. It’s enough to give a cynic hope.

Speaking of hope—the book is full of it. Not all of it is grounded—but, I’m not sure I care. Mia’s hope and optimism are contagious. You see it in the way she sets about everything she does, the way she changes others, and the way those who have been changed start thinking and doing. Again, it’s only the black hats who seem impervious to this—although they are sometimes compelled to change their actions.

It’s sweet. It’s hopeful. It’s cheerful. It is honest about the flaws (and there are more than a few) of the protagonist/narrator, but it shows how she perseveres in light of them—and grows.

It’s really hard to find things to complain about, so I won’t. Pick it up—if not for yourself, at least for the MG reader in your life (assuming you’re fortunate to be blessed with one).

3 Stars

BBNYA SEMI-FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: The Cold Blade of Fear by TF Johnson

By HCNewton

On October 31, 2025

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for TF Johnson’a The Cold Blade of Fear! So, this book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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Book Details:

Title: The Cold Blade of Fear by TF Johnson
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 419 Pages
Publication Date: October 31, 2024

About the Book:

Devastated at the loss of her friend, Piper is dealt a major blow when Caleb and Madelyn are wrenched from her care – and Piper is accused of a murder for which she is not responsible.

To clear her name and fight for custody, Piper must draw on every resource at her disposal to flee Silvaein, pitting all her hopes on a desperate chance for acquittal. But when the clues take her into foreign lands and cultures that are strange to her, she discovers that she doesn’t need to do it alone.

With Alec and Beka by her side, Piper will face her most gruelling challenge yet, bringing her up against an unforgiving environment … and even less forgiving foes.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

TF Johnson spends her days in imaginary worlds swordfighting, defeating monsters, and talking with dragons.

TF Johnson has a degree in Interior Design, which she has never used, is addicted to chocolate and coffee, and would spend her days with her head in the clouds if she had the choice. She has an incredibly understanding husband and an English Bulldog who is the best writing companion ever – Even if she does have a habit of putting her head on the keyboard and leaving it there.

In her spare time, TF Johnson collects books to read, which is a completely different hobby to actually reading them. She has 173 books on her to-read shelf, a number which is steadily growing.

When she’s not reading or writing, TF Johnson can be found trying out new hobbies and spending time with her friends and family.

Website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

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Catch-Up Quick Takes — Some Recent Mysteries

By HCNewton

On October 30, 2025

In Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these (have another two in the pipeline). This time, I’m looking at a few mystery novels that I just don’t have the time/will to do a “full” post on, as deserving as they are. I recommend all of these, and you’d do well to pick them up in one format or another. As always, the point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Keeper of Lost Causes

by Jussi Adler-Olsen, read by Erik Davies

DETAILS:
Series: Department Q, #1
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: August 23, 2011
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 15 hrs., 36 min.
Read Date: August 22-26, 2025

(the official blurb)
This is a novel about a broken—psychologically, emotionally, and physically—detective obsessed with remaining professionally active. He’s assigned to a new cold case squad and hampered bureaucratically at every turn. Saddled with what seems to be the worst assistant possible (but turns out to be anything but), he starts looking into the cold case surrounding the disappearance of a politician five years ago.

The characters are really well drawn, the story seems to meander a bit—but really never does (something you can only know in retrospect), and the pay-off is really satisfying. I didn’t love it, but I couldn’t stop listening, either.
The accents used by the narrator seem to fade in and out at times—and I wonder what someone from that part of the world would have to say about them (I’m prepared to be informed that [narrator’s name] is a native and this American doesn’t know what he’s talking about).

So obviously, this is significantly different than the adaptation—and in a way that makes me both admire the adaptation more, and realizing the way this was a stronger work, too. (I’m probably more interested in the second series of the show than in the second book, but I’ll probably give it a shot, too.)
3.5 Stars

Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride

by Will Leitch, read by Chris Andrew Ciulla

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harper 
Publication Date: May 20, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hr., 59 min. 
Read Date: August 27-28, 2025

(the official blurb)
This Better Off Dead-influenced Police Procedural didn’t really match my expectations. This is both good (the novel was much more rewarding and emotionally-rich than I’d anticipated), and bad (while definitely amusing and sometimes downright funny, I’d been hoping for more ridiculous humor rather than the grounded stuff the book delivered).

Absolutely worth the time. The most feel-good police procedural I can think of (unless you count Backman’s Anxious People, which I don’t).
3 Stars

Death at the White Hart

by Chris Chibnall, read by Jessica Gunning

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobooks
Length: 9 hrs., 32 min.
Read Date: September 5-9, 2025

(the official blurb)
I have two big take-aways from this book.

Let Chibnall do this kind of thing—murders in a small town without much violent crime.
Keep him away from things like Doctor Who.

This is such a rich book—the setting was fantastic. Chibnall populates this town with a wonderful assortment of characters from several walks of life—and you feel like you get to know them well. The police characters are the kind I’d like to see again (but, I just don’t see a sequel working). The mystery at the book’s heart was so cleverly laid out and the reveal was as good as you could hope for.

There’s a young girl character who will break your heart, and you will want to adopt her. Even if I didn’t so much like the book, I’d have been glad for her storyline alone.

3.5 Stars

The Silver State

by Gabriel Urza

DETAILS:
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 17-19, 2025

(the official blurb)
Ohhhh, there’s so much to talk about with this one. There’s the discouraging, disheartening, troubling behind-the-scenes at the Public Defender’s Office material. All of which feels so true-to-life that I can only imagine that the reality is worse. What it says about our Criminal Justice System is even worse. The personal story about this one lawyer is pretty stark, too. You hope that things get better for him and his family, too.

Then there’s the murder, the court maneuverings, the way the lawyers’ lives are changed by this. It’s just so…bleak. Wonderfully done—it’s supposed to be bleak, it’s supposed to make you wonder about what we’re doing with criminals/the accused/those defending them right now. The author pulled off what he set out to here, but you’re going to want something light on-deck to read after this.

So why am I covering the book in a quick-take instead of a longer post where I can expand all that? Honestly, I just don’t care enough. That’s not a slight on the book, it’s just my energy levels and picking what I want to invest energy in. I’ll definitely pounce on anything else Urza puts out and recommend you do the same.
3 Stars

The Edge of the Crazies

by Jamie Harrison, read by Justin Price

DETAILS:
Series: Jules Clement, #1
Publisher: Highbridge Company  
Publication Date: November 5, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 43 min.
Read Date: September 18-19, 2025

(the official blurb)
This is a very odd book, and hard to pin down. I like that about it, but it’s difficult to talk about. This is possibly the least effective, least qualified, small-town sheriff I can think of. It doesn’t matter how small his community is (still a sprawling metropolis compared to Longmire’s), he really shouldn’t have anything to do with law enforcement. Yet, I really like him—he seems like a decent guy, who’ll probably grow into the job (based on the number of books in the series)—assuming he can stay sober and keep his pants zipped.

The county and its residents…boy howdy. A great setting, that’s going to be rewarding. I don’t know if I have much else to say—maybe after another couple of books in the series.

Entertaining, puzzling, a nice mystery (hidden beneath so many wonderful misleading clues and red herrings), a good cast (decent narrator, too, I should add). Check it out.
3 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

BBNYA SEMI-FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: The Cyclopes’ Eye by Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius

By HCNewton

On October 30, 2025

In Book Tour, Fiction, Science Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for by Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius’ The Cyclopes’ Eye! So, this book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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Book Details:

Title: The Cyclopes’ Eye by Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius
Genre: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Age Category: Young Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 379 Pages
Publication Date: April 9, 2024

About the Book:

First, they came for his sister’s eye. Now they’re coming for his—and what’s even worse is he deserves it.

Henry has never had anything good happen to him, period. That’s why, after school, he’s going to put on his big-boy pants and confess his love to his best friend—because the universe owes him one, dammit, and he needs a win.

But maybe it wasn’t the best idea to do it on Drill Day—the one day a month that healthcare conglomerate Axiom infiltrates schools across America to select a new candidate to give up one of their eyes, for… research? When the new candidate is selected, Henry’s plans go awry, and he and his friends must figure out how to escape from Axiom. But when the past threatens to eat him alive, things aren’t as easy as they seem.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Jeffrey Haskey-Valerius (he/him) rarely knows what’s happening. He works in healthcare by day and writes weird fiction and poetry by night. His shorter work has been featured in numerous literary journals and has been nominated for prizes, including Best of the Net. He currently lives in the Chicago area with his unbelievably handsome and perfect dog and cat, and also a human whom he loves. The Cyclopes’ Eye is his debut novel.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

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WWW Wednesday—October 29, 2025

By HCNewton

On October 29, 2025

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

Just a couple of days until candy-pocalypse, anyone else dreading the leftovers (and on-sale leftovers at local stores) ruining health/resolutions? Don’t get me wrong–I rather enjoy seeing all the trick-or-treaters and passing out candy. I just wish they’d do a better job of cleaning us out. (if they’d clean us out quickly, so I could actually read something, that’d be even better).

You have enough pre-post banter? Good, me too.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?


The Broken Detective by Joel Nedecky	How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future by Maria Ressa, read by Maria Ressa & Rebecca Mozo

Am cracking Nedecky’s book open later today. I skimmed the cover a couple of weeks ago when I got it, but remember nothing that I read. All I know is that Run Amok books hasn’t let me down yet. I assume the trend will continue.

I saw Ressa interviewed recently and thought “I want to learn more about her.” And what do you know? She has a memoir (that’ll probably shift into something else later on). I think we’re only into her mid-20s right now, and I’m fascinated. Not that surprisingly, given her career in journalism and activism, she’s a strong audiobook narrator, so bonus points for that.

What did you recently finish reading?


Front Desk by Kelly Yang	The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Takami Nieda, read by: Naruto Komatsu, Kenichiro Thomson, Susan Momoko Hingley, Yuriri Naka & Ami Okumura Jones

Last night, I read the very charming (yet honest about race and immigrant struggles in the mid 90s) Front Desk for a reading challenge. I don’t know that it needs two (at least) sequels, and I doubt I’ll get to them, but I was very satisfied with this MG read.

The Healing Hippo has convinced me that Michiko Aoyma and I should part ways. There’s nothing bad about the book, but I just don’t get the appeal.

What do you think you’ll read next?


The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison	Small Favor by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters

The Goblin Emperor is the last Fantasy Book Club read of the year–and it looks like we’re going out strong. Hope so, anyway.

And it’s time for another installment of “HC scrambles to listen to the existing Dresden Files books before Twelve Months is released.” I’m embarassed to admit that I conflate a lot of Small Favor with the next book, Turn Coat, so I’m eager to get some clarification on it.

How are you closing out October?

Billy the Kid: The War for Lincoln County by Ryan C. Coleman: Yoo-hoo, This’ll Make Him Famous

By HCNewton

On October 29, 2025

In Fiction

Billy the Kid:
The War for Lincoln County

by Ryan C. Coleman

DETAILS:
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Format: eBook
Length: 327 pgs.
Read Date: October 10-14, 2025

What’s Billy the Kid: The War for Lincoln County About?

I had to return the book, so I can’t remember the name our protagonist starts out with (it’s probably historical record, but who has time for that?). Anyway, the lad who will assume the name William H. Bonney is a petty, naive, juvenile delinquent who gets thrown in jail for a night in a proto-Scared Straight move. He finds a way to escape, and not knowing he was supposed to be taught a lesson, assumes he’s a wanted fugitive and starts to live up to that.

He gets a little better at being a criminal, practically inadvertently becoming a murderer—which really does make him a wanted fugitive—and then he falls in with a gang, and everything goes south.

Basically, it’s Billy the Kid’s origin story. From neglected step-son to notorious killer and bandit.

So, what did I think about Billy the Kid: The War for Lincoln County?

Coleman talks about wanting to fill in a blank in Billy’s career. It’s not a period that we get a lot about (Young Guns and Young Guns II notwithstanding), so it’s a fertile ground for this kind of fiction. As that kind of thing, I think it works pretty well.

It’d be easy to walk away from this novel with the idea that Billy is someone in desperate need of affection—particularly parental affection. Both a mother-figure and a strong father-figure are really what he seems to be looking for, and it’s not getting them (or having them taken away) leads to his life of crime.

It’d also be easy to walk away from this book with the idea that Billy is desperate for a name for himself and is really only motivated by whatever’s compelling him at the moment. He’s practically Id unbound, an example of what can happen when poor impulse control is combined with someone with decent talent with a gun, a little luck, and a lot of charm (and, perhaps, a pretty shaky morality).

I’m probably not noting and/or am forgetting a few other interpretations of Billy that Coleman gives us. Those are just the ones that stuck with me.

In the end, however, the upheaval in this part of New Mexico can’t be laid at the feet of Billy, his allies, or most of his enemies. It’s about money—and bigger money than any of the characters that we spend most of our time with can imagine. I’m not an expert in Westerns—I’ve only read a handful over the last couple of decades, and another handful before that—but I don’t get the impression that it’s a common enough theme. I’m glad to see Coleman do that here.

I enjoyed the book. As I recall, it’s a better—and grittier—read than McMurtry’s Billy the Kid book (and I read that a couple of times). It captures the hardship of the West as well as the dreams most people had of the glories they all sought (mostly futilely) there, too.

It’s not necessarily going to drive me to seek out more Westerns in general—it’ll make me inclined to grab Coleman’s next read, whatever genre that ends up being.

And yes, despite not having listened to the album in decades, I had Jon Bon Jovi’s Blaze of Glory album running through the back of my mind while reading this. Readers of a certain age: you might want to make it easier on yourself and just pull it up to listen to while you read.

3.5 Stars